Upwork is an incredible platform for solopreneurs.
If you have an idea, you will be spoiled for choice on Upwork.
But what does it mean to have an idea and go shopping on Upwork to find the talent that will help you bring your idea to life?
It means knowing the end state of your ideas journey from the exciting thoughts in your head to the final product alive in the hands of your customer.
1) Do you have a mock-up of your final idea? Use Canva.
2) Do you have a 1 page overall requirements document? Use Google Doc to write one.
3) Do you know what your freelancer needs to have as skills or experience to be considered for the project? Use Google Sheets to mind-map your expectations and convert them into specific questions you can ask on your Upwork project proposal.
4) Do you know how you will provide feedback on the code developed? Use Gitlab (where code is involved) and ask that your freelancers use Git to develop.
5) Do you have some understanding of the timeline involved? Do research on typical timeframes necessary for your kind of project. Convert these into milestones.
As an entrepreneur it has never been this easy to give life to your ideas and dreams. But it has also become very difficult to find the right set of freelancers who can do wonders for you.
Upwork is like any marketplace and you can find very talented folks who can truly partner with you to develop your product. If you go in fully prepared and have as much specifics of your project nailed down, you will not only raise your chances of success but will also attract the kind of freelancers who are looking for clients who have clarity of purpose and a specific vision of what needs to be done.
Upwork is what the Internet promised to deliver in terms of broad and easy access to the global workforce. But with easy access we are also given the hard problem of curation. The points I’ve listed above can reduce your dependency on curation by the platform and instead allow you to attract the kind of freelancers that will force multiply your efforts and bring to market the innovative products and services you’ve been dreaming about.
